What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 2

[Endless]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/beware-of-the-western-bulldogs-20170119-gtuti7.html

Beware of the Western Bulldogs

Martin Flanagan

I am grateful to have been asked to write a book about the Bulldogs' grand final win of last year. I am grateful because it takes my mind off the fear and uncertainty surrounding the historical clock that has started ticking with the inauguration of Donald Trump.

The Bulldogs' flag was good news, good news not just for the Bulldogs, but for anyone who wants to believe that causes which appear lost – and have appeared lost for decades – can suddenly come from nowhere and win. A club that famously had no luck suddenly found luck on its side. What does the 2016 grand final tell us? If the Dogs can do it, maybe we can too.

One fear I have with the book is that no one will believe what I write. Listen to the tone of footy discussions in this town. That tone is nothing like the tone of the conversations I have been having at the Bulldogs over the last couple of months with the 22 players in the grand final team. They proceed from a different platform, from a different set of understandings. They are positive, upbeat.

The last time I conducted an inquiry as comprehensive as this into a football club was in 1992 when I wrote my book about a year with the Dogs titled Southern Sky, Western Oval. I was shocked then by the toll this game takes on the bodies of those who play it. I am shocked anew.

When I met Tory Dickson at the club on Tuesday morning, he had just ridden 50 kilometres on a bike. That's because he's still not running. He played last year with groin injuries, nearly missing each of the last six games including the grand final. He battled loss of speed, loss of agility, had his hips strapped before every game and was still a crucial player. Post-season, he had an operation which replaced an eroded hip joint with gell and took shrapnel bone out of tendon. Only four Bulldogs played all 26 games last year.

It's also easy to overlook the fact that AFL players not only compete against players at other clubs, they compete against one another for a place in the team. Yet the Bulldog players talk with genuine feeling for their teammates who "missed" – that is, who missed the big ride, the top-of-the-mountain experience, that was the grand final victory. It's a competitive environment but it's not meanly so. It's not dog-eat-dog. There are other values at work in the club culture and these have not appeared by accident – a network of people at the club, including the players' leadership group, have worked very hard to create and maintain them.

My respect for AFL footballers has been refreshed and expanded – they deserve every cent they get paid. The game demands so much now – eight hour days (longer on camps), strategy meetings, group meetings, weight sessions, training sessions, handball alone sessions, all manner of physical tests ...

Dickson is a mature footballer. He's 29 and a man who fully appreciates what it takes to get to where he is. When I asked Dickson about drinking alcohol during the week, he replied: "I'd ask myself is this going to get the best out of me?"

His rules are – when the Dogs have a six-day break between games, no alcohol; a seven-day break, maybe one drink; an eight-day break, maybe a couple. But no more than that, not if you want to be in peak condition, which is where you have to be because this is a game of fine competitive edges. Everywhere, the standards are rising and the effort, just to compete, demands enormous energy.

Yet compete they do and more than one has said it's the best job he could possibly have. That's not just because they are young men who enjoy playing physical games. When you think about the old jobs that are disappearing from the workforce, particularly for unskilled males, and the nature of the new semi-permanent ones being created, I can see why, with all its risks and disappointments and demands, these young men view AFL football as they do.

What happened at the Bulldogs in 2015-16 can be likened to what happened at Geelong with the Leading Teams program in that a whole group of players bought into a common understanding about what being in a team means and then zealously pursued it. What differs in the two cases are the personalities involved and the methods they employed.

If I were to make a preliminary report to other clubs on the basis of what I've learnt so far from my inquiries at the Kennel, I'd say: "Beware. The energy is still there." That's what the Bulldogs have got – a special energy. I cannot say whether that will be sufficient to win them another premiership given: (1) the enormous part luck plays and (2) I have no idea what the morale is at any of the other clubs. But there's a buzz at the Dogs. What I'm trying to work out is how that buzz was created. Who did what?

I know I will never get the whole truth, that I will never be able to give due credit to everyone involved. There are all the people at the club from president Peter Gordon down to the supporters who travelled to Sydney in buses for the preliminary final against Greater Western Sydney. I'm here to tell those supporters that they played a part in that victory. I know because player after player has told me. It sounds like a cliche. Dare to believe it's true.

In 2016, the Dogs dared to believe. How many people outside the actual group of players believed they could win the flag? Very few, if any. The fact that virtually no one else believed didn't bother the Dogs one bit. That's the moral of the Bulldog victory to me. Get across, help your teammate. When our beliefs meet and merge, we are both stronger.

This is terrific news!
Flanagan is a world class journo

 

[Northernsoul74]

This is terrific news!
Flanagan is a world class journo

Has this been published or is he writing it at the moment?

 

[Zgope1]

There's something about the at first paragraph that bugs me. You're grateful because it takes your mind off Trump? I know it's a journalistic throw away line, but come on.

not a bad point my man. not sure why it needs mentioning

 

[Endless]

Has this been published or is he writing it at the moment?

Still writing it

 

[Hard Ball Get]

not a bad point my man. not sure why it needs mentioning

Exactly. I hate when journalists push personal beliefs or agendas in completely unrelated articles.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Still writing it

Sounds as if he's interviewed every player in the premiership team, for a start .

 

[True Dog]

Sounds as if he's interviewed every player in the premiership team, for a start .

Just that small insight into what Dicko was dealing with shows how much we don't know about the inner sanctum.... I have a feeling once we read the book we'll have an even greater appreciation of how this group is composed and what it can do and in fact achieved... Can't wait

 

[True Dog]

I hope Dicko doesn't find it to hard to get his fitness back to make a push to be back in the side. He isn't blessed with great athleticism or fitness. And at his age he will struggle more than most. When he's on he's one of the most damaging players in our side. We need him up and about.

He had little to no pre-season last year and played his first game in round one, I wouldn't be overly concerned because he's obviously tougher than we give him credit for... I do agree he's very important to the make up of our side and severely under rated..

 

[X_box_X]

He had little to no pre-season last year and played his first game in round one, I wouldn't be overly concerned because he's obviously tougher than we give him credit for... I do agree he's very important to the make up of our side and severely under rated..

He played his first game in round five last year.

 

[adsum]

He had little to no pre-season last year and played his first game in round one, I wouldn't be overly concerned because he's obviously tougher than we give him credit for... I do agree he's very important to the make up of our side and severely under rated..

Agree, and yet there are some "know-it-alls" who call him "soft".

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Big Dogs duo set to release shackles on fellow forwards
Nick Bowen
January 21, 2017 9:15 AM

Travis Cloke is hoping to make a splash at the Bulldogs

THE STRONG pre-season form of Travis Cloke and Stewart Crameri has the Western Bulldogs confident they have finally addressed their long-time Achilles heel – aerial strength in attack.

Tom Boyd's coming-of-age 2016 finals series aside, the Bulldogs have lacked a dominant key forward since Barry Hall's retirement at the end of 2011.

The Dogs found enough bite in attack last year despite their lack of height, with mid-sized and small forwards such as Jake Stringer, Tory Dickson, Clay Smith, Zaine Cordy, Josh Dunkley and Toby McLean largely powering their premiership forward line.

However, midfielder Lachie Hunter is confident the Bulldogs' flag defence will be bolstered by the addition of former Magpie Cloke and Crameri's return from a season-long WADA suspension.

"In the forward line, we've kind of lacked those big talls. Obviously Tommy had a really good finals series but during the year we kind of lacked that big option down forward, so to get Stewie and Clokey in will really strengthen the forward line," Hunter said.

"It's obviously just all positive. I can't see how we can go backwards with those additions and Tommy coming of age.

"It will take the pressure off Tom with Stewie and Trav coming in and hopefully people like Jakey Stringer can step up as well with the pressure off."

Hunter said Cloke, secured by the Bulldogs in last year's NAB AFL Trade Period for pick No.76, had made a strong start to his first pre-season at the Whitten Oval, impressing with his outstanding endurance and his contested work during match simulation.

"Just in match play and things like that you just notice there's such a big strong option to kick to, which we haven’t really had a great deal of," he said.

"He just doesn't really get out-marked even if there are two or three on him. It's just good to have someone to kick to."

Crameri crossed to the Bulldogs from Essendon at the end of 2013, kicking 69 goals in 40 games before being forced to sit out last season as one of the 34 past and present Bombers who participated in the club's ill-fated 2012 supplements regime.

Hunter expects Crameri will seamlessly return to the Bulldogs' senior team in 2017.

"No doubt it would have been a tough year but he's come back really fit. I went for a few runs with him before we got back and he took care of me pretty well," Hunter says.

"He was flying and ready to go, so that was a good sign for him. I'm assuming he'll slot straight back in."

Hunter, 22, enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2016, finally establishing himself in the Bulldogs' best 22 in his fourth year at the Whitten Oval.

Playing all 26 games, Hunter became a consistently damaging midfielder, racking up more possessions (719 at an average of 27.7 a game) than any other Bulldog and finishing second at the club for inside 50s and equal-third for goal assists. His outstanding year was rewarded with a third-place finish in the club's best and fairest award.

Hunter is determined to build on his 2016 form this season. His quest has been aided by an injury-free start to the pre-season, while he says his skills on his non-preferred right side can improve.

And having tasted premiership success, Hunter only wants more.

"It was such a good feeling and such a good couple of months – not only for us but for the club – that I just can't see why anyone wouldn't want to do it again," he says.

"And we'll be doing everything we can to back it up"

 

[Fossie 32]

Big Dogs duo set to release shackles on fellow forwards
Nick Bowen
January 21, 2017 9:15 AM

Travis Cloke is hoping to make a splash at the Bulldogs

THE STRONG pre-season form of Travis Cloke and Stewart Crameri has the Western Bulldogs confident they have finally addressed their long-time Achilles heel – aerial strength in attack.

Tom Boyd's coming-of-age 2016 finals series aside, the Bulldogs have lacked a dominant key forward since Barry Hall's retirement at the end of 2011.

The Dogs found enough bite in attack last year despite their lack of height, with mid-sized and small forwards such as Jake Stringer, Tory Dickson, Clay Smith, Zaine Cordy, Josh Dunkley and Toby McLean largely powering their premiership forward line.

However, midfielder Lachie Hunter is confident the Bulldogs' flag defence will be bolstered by the addition of former Magpie Cloke and Crameri's return from a season-long WADA suspension.

"In the forward line, we've kind of lacked those big talls. Obviously Tommy had a really good finals series but during the year we kind of lacked that big option down forward, so to get Stewie and Clokey in will really strengthen the forward line," Hunter said.

"It's obviously just all positive. I can't see how we can go backwards with those additions and Tommy coming of age.

"It will take the pressure off Tom with Stewie and Trav coming in and hopefully people like Jakey Stringer can step up as well with the pressure off."

Hunter said Cloke, secured by the Bulldogs in last year's NAB AFL Trade Period for pick No.76, had made a strong start to his first pre-season at the Whitten Oval, impressing with his outstanding endurance and his contested work during match simulation.

"Just in match play and things like that you just notice there's such a big strong option to kick to, which we haven’t really had a great deal of," he said.

"He just doesn't really get out-marked even if there are two or three on him. It's just good to have someone to kick to."

Crameri crossed to the Bulldogs from Essendon at the end of 2013, kicking 69 goals in 40 games before being forced to sit out last season as one of the 34 past and present Bombers who participated in the club's ill-fated 2012 supplements regime.

Hunter expects Crameri will seamlessly return to the Bulldogs' senior team in 2017.

"No doubt it would have been a tough year but he's come back really fit. I went for a few runs with him before we got back and he took care of me pretty well," Hunter says.

"He was flying and ready to go, so that was a good sign for him. I'm assuming he'll slot straight back in."

Hunter, 22, enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2016, finally establishing himself in the Bulldogs' best 22 in his fourth year at the Whitten Oval.

Playing all 26 games, Hunter became a consistently damaging midfielder, racking up more possessions (719 at an average of 27.7 a game) than any other Bulldog and finishing second at the club for inside 50s and equal-third for goal assists. His outstanding year was rewarded with a third-place finish in the club's best and fairest award.

Hunter is determined to build on his 2016 form this season. His quest has been aided by an injury-free start to the pre-season, while he says his skills on his non-preferred right side can improve.

And having tasted premiership success, Hunter only wants more.

"It was such a good feeling and such a good couple of months – not only for us but for the club – that I just can't see why anyone wouldn't want to do it again," he says.

"And we'll be doing everything we can to back it up"

#ReleaseTheShackles

 

[Floridog]

#ReleaseTheShackles

#DjoggiesUnchained

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/01/16/2017-afl-preview-western-bulldogs-best-22/

Was a bit concerned to see "Shane Biggs and Matthew Suckling can’t even crack the field in the best 22" then saw them listed with Picko and Daniel but they actually do have them in the 22 - on the bench.

The champagne has dried off and the balloons have been popped. Now, it’s time for the Western Bulldogs to do one thing – repeat.

With the Dogs well back into their preseason training, the premiership celebrations have ended – for the players and coaches, anyway. It’s unlikely the fans will ever stop the championship festivities, and who can blame them? The Bulldogs’ 2016 flag was historic on so many levels and it made for the perfect football fairytale.

The stories from the Grand Final win over Sydney will live forever, but if there is anything better than winning the premiership, it’s doing it twice. This is the challenge for the Bulldogs in 2017 – and they have the team to do it.

The biggest name for the Dogs probably isn’t even in their best 22. Luke Beveridge put on a coaching master class last season and has been lauded ever since. The belief he embedded into his players, and the passion he coached with, netted him the ‘Spirit of Sport’ Award from the Sport Australian Hall of Fame, thanks to his heartwarming handing over of the premiership medallion to Robert Murphy.

What Beveridge may be more grateful for, though, is having Murphy back on the field in 2017. The captain’s inclusion gives the Dogs’ defence a whole new dimension. Murphy gives his squad another intercept marking, and rebounding, defender, to complement the skills of Easton Wood and Jason Johannisen.

Meanwhile, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better three-man combo down back than Matthew Boyd, Marcus Adams and Dale Morris. For an indication of how deep the Bulldogs’ backline bats, Shane Biggs and Matthew Suckling can’t even crack the field in the best 22. This is no knock on Biggs or Suckling, as they’re both strong contributors. Rather, it’s a representation of how many weapons Beveridge has at his hands in defence.

At the other end of the ground, the Bulldogs will look a bit different with the addition of ex-Magpie, Travis Cloke. The 29-year-old, despite battling form slumps with Collingwood, fills a gap with the Dogs and should slot into their best 22.

Cloke won’t be asked to do much with the Bulldogs. Instead, he will be playing second fiddle to Tom Boyd, who realised his potential with a terrific finals series, both up forward and in back-up ruck duty. They finally get the services of Stewart Crameri back, giving the premiers another scoring threat, while the ever-present Tory Dickson is always a goal sneak.

The final piece of the Bulldogs’ puzzle is in the middle, where they have one of the competition’s most ferocious sets of midfielders.

Marcus Bontempelli is a special talent and should be considered a Brownlow favourite. Son of a gun, Tom Liberatore, didn’t miss a beat in his return from an ACL injury, playing with a relentless mindset. Surrounding that duo is Luke Dahlhaus, Lachie Hunter and the returning Mitch Wallis, who are all great players in their own right.

Even the likes of Caleb Daniel and Liam Picken can run through the guts.

The Bulldogs’ depth may get tested this season, with the departures of Koby Stevens (St Kilda), Nathan Hrovat (North Melbourne) and Joel Hamling (Fremantle). However, with the list Beveridge has, it shouldn’t be a huge issue, as the Dogs have every chance to go back to back.

The Bulldogs’ Best 22:

B: Matthew Boyd, Marcus Adams, Dale Morris

HB: Jason Johannisen, Easton Wood, Robert Murphy

C: Mitch Wallis, Marcus Bontempelli, Lachie Hunter

HF: Tory Dickson, Travis Cloke, Jackson Macrae

F: Stewart Crameri, Tom Boyd, Jake Stringer

Foll: Jordan Roughead, Tom Liberatore, Luke Dahlhaus

INT: Caleb Daniel, Liam Picken, Shane Biggs, Matthew Suckling

Click here to view SEN's Inside Football Player Ratings for EVERY Western Bulldogs player

When Clay Smith and Josh Dunkley cant crack the side it shows what we have at our disposal.

 

[Cadillac]

When Clay Smith and Josh Dunkley cant crack the side it shows what we have at our disposal.

There's just no way that Bevo leaves Clay out of the side. Just like Max Rooke at Geelong, when you have a player like Clay who will go 110% at every contest and bleed for the jumper. You make room for a player like him. IMO I think he would be one of Bevo's first selections in the best 22.

 

[The Original Swooper]

There's just no way that Bevo leaves Clay out of the side. Just like Max Rooke at Geelong, when you have a player like Clay who will go 110% at every contest and bleed for the jumper. You make room for a player like him. IMO I think he would be one of Bevo's first selections in the best 22.

Picken was considered in a similar vein by many supporters not so long ago. Whilst you can't select a team full of tough nuts you need a few and that's why I agree that Clay and Liam are automatic selections.

It's been a long time since we had so many players all capable and worthy of a senior team spot. Even in 97/98 and the 08/09/10 era we had good depth but now I'd suggest we have great depth

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

There's just no way that Bevo leaves Clay out of the side. Just like Max Rooke at Geelong, when you have a player like Clay who will go 110% at every contest and bleed for the jumper. You make room for a player like him. IMO I think he would be one of Bevo's first selections in the best 22.

The young man has yet to have a full pre season, when he does this year he will be more than just a player that gives 110%

 

[Endless]

The young man has yet to have a full pre season, when he does this year he will be more than just a player that gives 110%

I generally think Dermie is FOS but do remember him commenting on Clay(I think it was during the Gold Coast game) saying that he will be a real weapon in the finals!
I think that if clay gets a full season on the park this year, that AA squad is not out of the question.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

I generally think Dermie is FOS but do remember him commenting on Clay(I think it was during the Gold Coast game) saying that he will be a real weapon in the finals!
I think that if clay gets a full season on the park this year, that AA squad is not out of the question.

Dermie speaks and acts like a bloke full of s**t. Hes actually spot on and knows his stuff.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Clay's hardness at the ball will be better utilised through midfield, his natural position, where he'll play a lot more this year.

Despite the 4 goals he kicked in the prelim, and the fact he kicked a goal or two in virtually every game, at the end of the day he's not really a natural forward by trade, and his style of footy is more effective through midfield.

It's just he was almost "forced" to play forward because he didn't have the endurance base and running capacity to play much through midfield (given that with his knees he hadn't done a pre-season for three years to build a running base). But come this year he'll be like our other midfield group who rest forward and play through midfield in proportions similar to our other midfielders.

He can play forward, but I don't think he's any more of a natural forward than players like Bont, Dunkley, Wallis before he got injured etc. were, and those players also had games where they kicked multiple goals from the forward line when they were rotating out of the midfield.

Honestly with Crameri back and Cloke playing our forward line will probably have 1 or 2 less "resting mids" as part of our forward structure which will mean the squeeze for blokes like Smith and Dunkley will be through fighting for places in the midfield, not the forward line.

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Clay's hardness at the ball will be better utilised through midfield, his natural position, where he'll play a lot more this year.

Despite the 4 goals he kicked in the prelim, and the fact he kicked a goal or two in virtually every game, at the end of the day he's not really a natural forward by trade, and his style of footy is more effective through midfield.

It's just he was almost "forced" to play forward because he didn't have the endurance base and running capacity to play much through midfield (given that with his knees he hadn't done a pre-season for three years to build a running base). But come this year he'll be like our other midfield group who rest forward and play through midfield in proportions similar to our other midfielders.

He can play forward, but I don't think he's any more of a natural forward than players like Bont, Dunkley, Wallis before he got injured etc. were, and those players also had games where they kicked multiple goals from the forward line when they were rotating out of the midfield.

Honestly with Crameri back and Cloke playing our forward line will probably have 1 or 2 less "resting mids" as part of our forward structure which will mean the squeeze for blokes like Smith and Dunkley will be through fighting for places in the midfield, not the forward line.

I love us having some contested beasts in our F50. Really plays to our favour with our style to lock it down in our F50. Any of Clay, Wallis, Libba, Bont, Dunk, Jong, Dahl ripping it out of packs with the ball locked in our F50

 

[doggies ftw]

Clay's hardness at the ball will be better utilised through midfield, his natural position, where he'll play a lot more this year.

Despite the 4 goals he kicked in the prelim, and the fact he kicked a goal or two in virtually every game, at the end of the day he's not really a natural forward by trade, and his style of footy is more effective through midfield.

It's just he was almost "forced" to play forward because he didn't have the endurance base and running capacity to play much through midfield (given that with his knees he hadn't done a pre-season for three years to build a running base). But come this year he'll be like our other midfield group who rest forward and play through midfield in proportions similar to our other midfielders.

He can play forward, but I don't think he's any more of a natural forward than players like Bont, Dunkley, Wallis before he got injured etc. were, and those players also had games where they kicked multiple goals from the forward line when they were rotating out of the midfield.

Honestly with Crameri back and Cloke playing our forward line will probably have 1 or 2 less "resting mids" as part of our forward structure which will mean the squeeze for blokes like Smith and Dunkley will be through fighting for places in the midfield, not the forward line.

Personally I think Clay spends quite a bit more time forward than the rest of our midfield. Has always shown natural forward instincts since game 1 and has really good goal sense, much better than your average mid resting forward and he also provides a point of difference to the forward line compared to anyone else. Plus his defensive work is a huge addition deep in our forward line and while his footskills are much improved they will never be to the level of most of the rest of our midfield and they get hidden a bit forward (with goals in sight he's a great kick).

If he played all year predominantly forward wouldn't surprise me to see him average 15-20 touches, 8-10 tackles and 1.5-2 goals a game and find himself in the AA forward line. That's where the team gets the most value from him IMO

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Also with. Cloke more forward thrusts will come
To ground than be marked as easily as so many games last year. Clay will be a nightmare in those circumstances.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Not wearing my glasses! Sorry about the messy text!

 

[Dry Rot]

Also with. Cloke more forward thrusts will come

So more father and son picks for us in 18 years time?